Manga Taisho 2026 Announces 12 Nominated Works Including “Strikeout Pitch” and “Ichi The Witch”

The Manga Taisho 2026 nominations have been officially announced, highlighting 12 standout titles selected by manga enthusiasts from across Japan, primarily bookstore staff, who vote for the manga they find the most interesting at this very moment.

The Manga Taisho awards were established in 2008 and this year marks the 19th edition. Eligible works are those that released new collected volumes between January 1 and December 31, 2025, with a maximum of eight volumes published at the time of consideration.

In the first round of voting, each judge selected five titles they would most strongly recommend to others. Based on total votes, the top 12 works including ties were nominated. This year, 94 judges cast votes across 249 different manga titles.

Selection Process and Upcoming Schedule

Following the first round, judges will read all nominated works and proceed to the second round of voting. They will then determine first, second, and third place, with points tallied to select one overall Manga Taisho winner. The final result will be announced at an award ceremony scheduled for late March.

Influence of Past Manga Taisho Winners

Historically, many Manga Taisho winners and nominees have gone on to receive anime adaptations as well as live action film and drama adaptations.

The inaugural winner in 2008, Gaku: Minna no Yama by Shinichi Ishizuka, was adapted into a live action film starring Shun Oguri. The third winner, Thermae Romae by Mari Yamazaki, was also adapted into a live action film starring Hiroshi Abe.

The 2012 winner, Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa, received both an anime adaptation in Fuji TV’s late night Noitamina programming block and a live action film starring Kento Nakajima. In addition, the 2017 winner, Hibiki: Shosetsuka ni Naru Hoho by Mitsuharu Yanamoto, was adapted into a live action film starring Yurina Hirate.

Manga Taisho 2026 Nominated Works

Imoto wa Shitte Iru (JP: 妹は知っている)
by Mari Ganki

Home at the Horizon (JP: おかえり水平線)
by Taiyo Watabe

Kaiju wo Kaibo Suru (JP: 怪獣を解剖する)
by Sado Saito

Strikeout Pitch (JP: サンキューピッチ)
by Kyu Sumiyoshi

The Devil's in the Lunch Deal (JP: 邪神の弁当屋さん)
by Ishiko

Dan Mitsu(JP: 壇蜜)
by Tohru Seino

Kinuta Miya's Short Story Collection Someone Who Was Once a Friend (JP: 友達だった人 絹田みや作品集 )
by Miya Kinuta

Maison and the Man-Eating Apartment (JP:人喰いマンションと大家のメゾン)
by Kuu tanaka and Akima

Hon Nara Uru Hodo (JP: 本なら売るほど)
by Ao Kojima

Ichi The Witch (JP: 魔男のイチ)
by Shiro Usazaki and Osamu Nishi

RIOT
by Yuta Tsukada

Robo no Fujii (JP:路傍のフジイ)
by Kurao Nabe

Past Manga Taisho Grand Prize Winners

2008: Gaku: Minna no Yama by Shinichi Ishizuka
2009: Chihayafuru by Yuki Suetsugu
2010: Thermae Romae by Mari Yamazaki
2011: March Comes In like a Lion by Chica Umino
2012: Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa
2013: Umimachi Diary by Akimi Yoshida
2014: A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori
2015: Blank Canvas: My So Called Artist’s Journey by Akiko Higashimura
2016: Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda
2017: Hibiki: Shōsetsuka ni Naru Hōhō by Mitsuharu Yanamoto
2018: Beastars by Paru Itagaki
2019: Astra Lost in Space by Kenta Shinohara
2020: Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
2021: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
2022: The Darwin Incident by Shun Umezawa
2023: Draw This, Then Die! by Minoru Toyoda
2024: Spacewalking with You by Inuhiko Doronoda
2025: Alice, Doko Made mo by Kiko Urino

Source : ORICON NEWS